Interactive video distribution systems – Program – message – or commercial insertion or substitution – Specific to individual user or household
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-06
2001-11-06
Kostak, Victor R. (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Program, message, or commercial insertion or substitution
Specific to individual user or household
C725S038000, C725S061000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314568
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a broadcast-program viewing method and system and more particularly, to a viewing method and a viewing system of broadcast programs such as television (TV) programs capable of viewing the programs from a different angle from those transmitted by a broadcast station or stations according to a viewer's or subscriber's taste.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1
schematically shows a receiving method of TV programs transmitted from various broadcasting stations.
As seen from
FIG. 1
, a broadcasting station
101
transmits a radio wave conveying a lot of TV programs to the sky. The radio wave thus transmitted travels through the sky and then, is received by a receiving antenna
102
mounted by a viewer or subscriber. The radio wave thus received is sent to a broadcast receiving terminal, i.e., a TV set
103
, provided by the viewer. The TV set
103
extracts the transmitted picture and sound information from the received radio wave and reproduces them at a screen and speakers of the TV set
103
. Through these processes, the viewer becomes able to view the desired TV programs transmitted from the broadcasting station
101
as necessary.
The transmitted TV programs may be recorded onto a video tape by the use of a video tape recorder (VTR). In this case, the viewer is able to view the recorded programs at any time he wants.
Although the above explanation describes the TV programs, the same explanation may be applied to sound broadcasting (i.e., radio) programs. In this case, a listener listens directly the transmitted programs at a radio receiver, or listens indirectly the recorded programs onto a cassette tape by the use of a tape recorder.
Typically, the contents of the TV programs have been fixed prior to the transmission from the broadcasting station
101
, and it has been difficult for the viewers or subscribers to apply any revision and/or modification to the TV programs after the program editing has been completed. Therefore, it has been usual that the viewers view the TV programs without any change as transmitted from the broadcasting station
101
.
FIG. 2A
schematically shows the configuration of a TV program PR transmitted from the broadcasting station
101
. This program PR may be termed an “original TV program”.
FIG. 2B
schematically shows the configuration of a TV program PR′ viewed by the viewer. This program PR′ may be termed a “viewer's TV program”.
As seen from
FIG. 2A
, the original TV program PR contains items A, B, C, D, and E and F sequentially arranged with time. Also, as seen from
FIG. 2B
, the viewer's TV program PR′ contains the same items A, B, C, D, E and F as that of the original TV program PR, and the timing order or arrangement of these items A, B, C, D, and E and F is the same as that of the original TV program PR.
Conventionally, to change the order of sequentially-transmitted original TV programs and/or to select and combine desired ones of the original TV programs or their desired items, the viewer needs to store the programs onto a video tape or tapes by using his VTR. Then, he needs to reedit the stored original TV programs as desired by fast-forwarding and/or rewinding the video tape or tapes and/or by selectively dubbing the necessary items of the programs from one of the stored tapes to another. Thus, it is essential for the viewer to carry out complicated and/or troublesome operations for this purpose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a broadcast-program viewing method and a broadcast-program viewing system that make it possible to view broadcast programs transmitted by a broadcasting station or stations from a different angle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a broadcast-program viewing method and a broadcast-program viewing system capable of optionally viewing broadcast programs transmitted by a broadcasting station or stations according to a viewer's taste or desire.
The above objects together with others not specifically mentioned will become clear to those skilled in the art from the following description.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a broadcast-program viewing method is provided, which is comprised of the following steps (a) to (e).
(a) Original broadcast programs transmitted by a broadcasting station are received and stored onto an information storage medium capable of random access. Each of the received original broadcast programs contains items having attribute information.
(b) The attribute information for the items of the received original broadcast programs is acquired and stored onto the information storage medium.
(c) Viewer's information is specified according to a viewer's taste or desire.
(d) The attribute information for the items of the received original broadcast programs and the specified viewer's information are compared to designate at least one desired item in the items of the received original broadcast programs having a desired relationship with the specified viewer's information.
(e) The at least one desired item designated in the items of the received original broadcast programs is reproduced according to the specified viewer's information as a viewer's program.
With the broadcast-program viewing method according to the first aspect of the present invention, each of the received original broadcast programs contains the items having the attribute information, and the attribute information for the items is acquired and stored onto the information storage medium.
Then, the attribute information for the items of the received original broadcast programs is compared with the specified viewer's information, thereby designating at least one desired item in the items of the received original broadcast programs having the desired relationship with the specified viewer's information. Subsequently, the at least one desired item designated in the items of the received original broadcast programs is reproduced according to the specified viewer's information as the viewer's program.
As a result, the viewer is able to view the original broadcast programs transmitted by the broadcasting station from a different angle. In other words, because the viewer's program is readily varied by changing the viewer's information, the viewer is able to optionally view the original broadcast programs transmitted by the broadcasting station according to his taste or desire.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, the items of the received original broadcast programs are selected and/or rearranged along a time axis according to the specified viewer's information in the step (e).
In still another preferred embodiment of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, the attribute information for the items of the received original broadcast programs is acquired through a different path from a broadcasting wave conveying the original broadcast programs.
In this case, the attribute information may be acquired through a communication line such as the INTERNET using a communication receiver such as a modem.
In a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, the attribute information for the items of the received original broadcast programs is acquired through a broadcasting wave conveying the original broadcast programs.
In this case, the attribute information is preferably transmitted from the broadcasting station transmitting the original programs and then, received along with the original broadcast programs. However, the attribute information may be transmitted from a different broadcasting station from the broadcasting station transmitting the original programs.
In a still further preferred embodiment of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, the viewer's program is (i) a digest of at least
Matoba Hiroshi
Ochiai Katsuhiro
Kostak Victor R.
NEC Corporation
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
LandOfFree
Broadcast-program viewing method and system to allow... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Broadcast-program viewing method and system to allow..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Broadcast-program viewing method and system to allow... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2611908